Hydrostatic separating mechanism



Jan. 14, 1930 J. ZEB

HYDROSTATIC S EPARATING MECHANISM Filed Oct. 25, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR Jo sey k Z66 ORNEY Patented Jan; 14', 1930 PATENT oF-FieE J'QSEPH ZEB, OF OA KSDALE, WASHINGTON EYDROSTATIG SEPARATING MECHANISM k Application filed October 25, 192?. Serial No. 228,614.

The object of this invention is to provide an improved mechanism for separating the constituents ofdiiferent specific gravity of materials such for instance as seed'peas; the

invention being carried out by the aid of the hydrostatic action of a liquid having a greater densit than some of the constituents of the materia being separated or segregated. One of the features of my invention is to 1 provide separate means for discharging the materials of different gravity from the solution in the tank and causing a novel eoaction between the different discharging means whereby a flow of the normally quiescent 15 solution will be initiated and sustained by one of said discharging means toward the other discharging means, without the aid of any the material to be separated, say for instance,

the imperfect or defective peas, for acting in a direction different or opposite from the direction 0 the means for discharging the sound or us 1e peas.

It is a further feature of my invention to dispose the point of ingress of the material to the tank, closely adjacent that discharging means that functions to discharge the dross portion of the material, this feature being interdependently related to the feature of one of saiddischarging means causing a flow of the solution toward the other of said discharging means.

A further feature of my invention resides in a novel form of tank which is shaped and constructed in a manner to dispose the material being separated in close proximity to the means acting on such material to discharge the same.

A further feature resides in a means for ingressing the material into the tank and the solution therein, insuch a ma ner, that the material of lighter specific gravity is free to float on the surface of the solution in such near relation to the respective discharging means thereof as to quickly be picked up by the latter.

The improved ingressing means is further characterized by a means whereby the malar extension 6, is shown projecting from terials or constituents thereof of greater specific gravity are free to descend into the solution at points below thesurface thereof before such constituents actually enter the tank proper.

The invention is further characterized by an outside or reservoir tank, and an inside or conveyor tank, the upper or to edges of the latter being above the liqui level in either tank, this feature facilitating the ac-- tion. of onedischarge conveyor in generating a current of the solution toward the remain- 1ng discharge conveyor, as a resultof the restriction of volume of solution in theinner tank. The invention will be more fully described in connection with the accompanying drawings and. will be more particularly pointed out and ascertained in and by the appended claims.

In the drawings I I Fig. 1, is a vertical longitudinal sectional view of the preferred form of my invention. Fig. 2, is a sectional view thereof on line 22 of-Fig. 1. Fig. 3, 1s a plan view thereof with end portions broken away.

Fig. 4, is a sectional view on line 4-4 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5, is a sectional view on line 5-5 of Fig. 1.

Like characters of reference designate similar parts throughout the different figures of the drawings.

First describing the reservoir or outside tank, the same consists of. a bottom wall 1, end walls 2 and 3, respectively, and side walls 4-. The end wall 2, may be provided with a trough or U-shaped extension 5, and a'simi-.

wall 3, both of which are primarily drain back troughs, as will later appear. The top edge of the reservoir tank is indicated at 7.

Reference will next be made to the inner or conveyor tank which consists of an upwardly inclined lower wall8, side walls 9 and an end Wall 10. The lower Wall 8, as shown more particularly in Fig. 2, is semi-cylindrical and forms a trough-like enclosure for coactivcly housing what I will term a primary conveyor 11. This term primary is mere- "lesser specific gravity.

ly for convenience in distinguishing the two conveyors in the subsequent decription and claims, and in this connection, it may be stated that this primary conveyor constitutes the means for withdrawing or discharging from the tankthose portionsor constituents ofthe material that are of heavier specific gravity, or in other words, the valuable portions, which, would be the seed peas or other seed of sound germinating character,in contra-distinction to peas afliicted with weevils and which latterare of a considerably lighter specific gravity. Now it will be seen that the conveyor tank extends to practically the depth of the reservoir tank, at one end of the latter, which as shown in Fig. 1, is the right hand or intake end. -Said inner or conveyor tank may be supported in any'desired manner as by brackets 12 and 13. I

extend said conveyor tank in overhangin relation to the drain-back 6, and in space relation to the latter, and the disposition is such that the normallyquiescent solution level indicated at A, will not be high enough to flow outwardly through the discharge end portion 14. Inwardly of said end 14, I disposed a discharge pipe 15, which, in the present construction extends through the drain-back 6, and connects with the end portion 14, as shown. The wall 8, will be suitably perforated to any extent desired, as indicated at 16, for instance, so that the liquid level will be the same in both tanks and whatever liquid or solution may be in drain back 6, will flow down into the outside tank. I have broadly indicated at 17, a suitably mounted bearing for journalling the conveyor 11, and a gear 18, whereby rotary drive may be transmitted thereto. At its lower end, the conveyor 11 is journalled in a bearing 19.

Said conveyor 11 is shown in theform of a spiralconveyor having a shaft 20, and which need not be described further. Said primary conveyor 11 not .only extends throughout the length of the conveyor tank,

thereby affording the widest possiblerange for reception of sound peas that descend, but this range is also of great advantage in permitting ascent from said pro eller or conveyor of eas or constituents t at may have descende and whose lighter specific gravity will later cause them to ascend to the surface, as will be later described.

I will next describe the means shown for discharging the imperfect peas, or in other words, the constituents of the material of I. em loy for the secondary conveyor a relative y shorter spiral 21, which is 1'0- wi'dedwith a shaft 22 that is journalle in bearings 23 and 24, which are suitably supported in any desired manner. A gear 25 affords means for driving the conveyor 21. The wall 10, of the inner tank, is provided or especially of the idling e with an extension 26, that is preferably er? forated, and which is of a general troug or U-sha ed form in cross section, and is in space relation to the drain-back 5, to return any solution to the main tank that may have ascended in the extension 26, as a result of operation of the conveyor. 'Said extension 26, coacts with the conveyor 21, in a mannerto cause the particles to be advanced upwardly therein and discharged outwardly there from. It will thus be seen that only those flights of the conveyor 21, that are disposed in the trough extension 26, are positively discharging flights and those flights that project downwardly into the solution are idling flights that serve to generally direct floating entities into the extension 26, as will later appear. I will next describe the improved ingress means whereby the material to be separated is admitted to the inner tank in a novel manner. 7

As shown, said means is in the form of a feed pipe 27, the upper end of which will be connected with a supply of the material to be separated, the material descendin therein by gravity. The lower end of pi e 2 is bent laterally and extends through t e left hand wall4, in Fig. 2, and is connected with and communicates with the inner tank, through one side wall 9, thereof. The discharge end 28, of said pipe 27, is vertically elongatedi as shown in lgs. 1 and 2, and the upper en of the opening 29., is slightly above thesolution level A, as indicated at 30', while the lower portion 31, extends to a'considerable depth below the level A. Thus it will be seen that the material descending in the ingress pipe 27 will actually engagethe solution before it enters the tank. -As a direct result of this construction, the particles of lighter specific gravity, to a very, great extent, will slmpl float on the surface and be advanced into tii tions of material descending the pipe 27. Now it will be clear that as these lighter particles enter the inner tank, they W111. bb ime tank by following or successive por- I Y mediately in range of the secondary conveyflights thereof, and the point 0 ntrance wi be closely adjacent to the extension 26, as will be seen by reference to Fig. 1. It will also be noted that the level A, is of suflicient height to extend into the intake end of extension 26, so that the floating particles will actually enter said extension so as to be in range of the positively acting flights of-the conveyor 21, and. be dis: charged thereby. As regards the heavier particles, these'will initially sink in the solution while :they are still in the ingress pipe 27, and will'descend downwardly on the sloping lower portion 32, and'enter the inner tank at points considerably belowthe discharge conveyor 21, and out of range of the latter, and

toward the conveyor 11.

I next desire to call attention to a very important feature of my invention WhlCh.

veyor of larger diameter thanthe secondary conveyor, as shown, and b converging sald walls 9 so that the idling ights of conveyor 21 will operate closely thereto, I am able to efliciently bring all of the floating particles into close relation to said conveyor.

, A further feature, which is intimately related to, but not wholly dependent thereon, will next be described.

As the conveyor 11 is rotated to cause discharge of the high specific gravity material, or in other words, seed peas of sound germinating character, toward the outlet 15, the solution in the inner tank will be actuated to move in a cycle of flow, of endless character, as clearly indicated by the arrows in Fig. 1. Thus, there will always be a back flow at the surface of the solution in a direction toward conveyor 21. This type of flow, together with the constriction of the top walls 9, coacts in an advantageous manner to direct the lighterfloating particles toward the conveyor 21. Further, this back How of the solution, at the surface thereof,

toward conveyor 21, is particularly effective in advancing the lighter particles or peas which enter the inner tank through the ingress opening 29, directly toward said conveyor so that at the earliest moment, the entering material that is designed to be discharged through conveyor 21', will reach the same.

It will now be clear that I do not employ any mechanism between the conveyor 11 and conveyor 21, to perform this important function of causing a surface back flow of the solution toward the latter conveyor. Further, in practice, this function is efliciently carried out by rotating conveyor 11 at suc that has merely been stung.

a moderate speed that the surface back flow initiated thereby will not cause ripples on the surface of the solution.

While the operation may be clear from the foregoing, it may, in the interests of clearness, be briefly recapitulated. I

The density of the solution will of course bemade in accordance with the character of material to be separated, as will be understood by those skilled in hydrostatic machines of this kind. It may be informative to state that a pea, afiiicted with a pest such as a weevil, may be of the same size as a perfectly sound pea, but it will be of considerably less weight. This is also true of a pea There is also a clear diflerence of weight between peas'that are good and. sound, so that segregation 5:

the latter may be made for human consumption. In other words, the ability of my improved machine and method to care for the separation of a wide variety of materials or seeds, is merely dependent upon the employment of the proper densityof solution.

VVhen the peas sink in the solution from opening 29, as indicated by arrows B, in Fig. 1,'they are guided by the walls 9, not only into the range of action of conveyor 11, but

they enter into such range of action at the starting 'or lowermost end of said conveyor. Now I make the conveyor 11 not only lar er in diameter than conveyor .21 but I a so greatly increase the length of the former with respect to the latter. For various reasons, I find in ractiee, that a small percentage of peas of a efective'nature but of light gravity, are carrieddownwardly into ,conveyor 11 but after being rolled and tumbled by the latter, such peas ascend to the top before they are advanced to the discharge pipe 15, and are carried by the surface back flow toward and into range of conveyor 21. The peas of heavy weight, descend in a straight path from the lowermost portion of opening 29, directly downwardly into the conveyor 11 and are never in range of action of conveyor 21, notwithstanding the fact that they are discharged into the inner tank in very close proximity to said conveyor.

All the peas of light gravity that do not descend, and which float out of opening 29, are held into effective range of action of conveyor 21, by the walls 9, ai1d further, the 1 position of the trough-26, I am able quickly to float the light gravity peas right into the range of action of conveyor 21.

By disposing the upper portion 30, of ope ing 29, above the surface of the solution, I avoid submerging the lighter floating par ticles and when these particles are not submerged they 'float with more facility thanwhen they are submerged and consequently weighted by saturation of the solution. By thus floating these particles into the tank, I greatly facilitate the operation of eflecting discharge through trough 26.

It will thus be seen that all of the actual separating operation is carried on exclusively in the inner tank, and that the outer tank" is primarily a supply or reservoir tank.

It will now be clear that conveyor 11 constitutes submerged means for creating an under-current of the solution away from conveyor 21 to thereby initiate and sustain a sur face current back toward said conveyor 21, as indicated by the arrows in Fig. 1.

l meanscreating an undercurrent away from" secondary conveyor, and a tank havin It is believed that the; operation and advantages of my invention will be clearly understood from the foregoing description, and while I have herein shown one speciflc form V of my invention, I donot wish to be limited thereto except for such limitations as the claims may import.

I claim 1. A hydrostatic separator comprisin a tank havin a solution level andprovi ed with an inc 'ned trou h with the intake end thereof sufliciently be ow said level to cause ing into said conve or tank adjacent the point at which materlalis fed into the latter, I

and the side walls of said conveyor tank converging upwardl to guide floating material into range of sai secondary conve or.

. In witness whereof, I hereby a nature.

' JOSEPH ZEB.

' my sigthe solution to enter said trough, a conveyor 7 coacting with said trough for discharge of separated material, and means for creating an under current of the solution away from said trou h for causing a gentle surface back flow of t e solution toward said trough to float separated material into "the'latter and thereby into range of said conveyor.

2. A hydrostatic separator including a a solution level and provided with an inc ined trou h with the intake end thereof sufliciently be ow the level to cause the solution to enter said trough, a rotary spiral conveyor having flights coacting wit said trough to discharge separated material V extending portion of said conveyor-to facilitate engagement thereby of the near-floating material. 7 V

3. In a hydrostatic separating mechanism, a solution tank having a solution level therein normally quiescent and having an unobstructed surface, a secondary conveyor in said tank for discharging imperfect material in one direction from said tank, means for delivering material to said tank adjacent said primary conveyor in said tank for discharglng erfect material therefrom in a direction the direction of discharge of said secondary conveyor and creatin a slow cycle of current to gently carry imper ect material on said unobstructed surface toward'and into range of I said secondary conveyor without submerging said material.

4. In a hydrostatic separator, an outer reservoir tank, a conveyor tank mounted in and communicating with said reservoir tank and having a trough-shaped bottom inclined upwardly from the bottom of said reservoir tank, means for deliverin material to said conveyor tank above the owermost portion of said trou h-shaped bottom, a primary conveyor in said trough-shaped bottom of said conveyor tank, a secondary conveyor extend- 

